Life Safety Q&A: Operating room exit doors

Q: Are operating rooms required to have two (2) exit doors? I have not seen this room but am under the assumption it is between 400 and 500 square feet.

A: According to section 18.2.5.5.2 of the 2012 Life Safety Code, non-sleeping rooms of more than 2500 square feet must have not less than two exit access doors remotely located from each other. Since the operating room you described is 400 to 500 square feet, I would say you are under the threshold for having to meet the requirement to have two doors to the corridor.

Now, if the surgery area is a suite, there would not be a requirement for two exit access doors until you reached a 2,500-square-feet total for the entire suite, which would include the operating room.

Brad Keyes, CHSP, is the owner of KEYES Life Safety Compliance, and his expertise is in the management of the Life Safety Program, including the Environment of Care and Emergency Management programs.